50 Simple Little Ways to Feel Sexy

It's not just about attracting someone real sexiness is the total confidence that can make you feel smarter, funnier and better in every area of your life. Here's how to be a bit more like that every day.

It's not just about attracting someone — real sexiness is the total confidence that can make you feel smarter, funnier and better in every area of your life. Here's how to be a bit more like that every day.

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A for effort

"Feeling confident about your appearance is the first step to genuine sex appeal," says says Eve Marx, author of Beddington Place: Watch Your Back, Cover Your Tracks and contributor to thirdage.com. Give yourself permission to invest in how you look — whether that means a visit to the makeup counter or a new haircut. It'll change what's inside, too.

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Get out of town

Take an art class. Or book a last-minute weekend getaway. "Novelty is the greatest aphrodisiac,"says Sandor Gardos, Ph.D., and founder of mypleasure.com. When you live in the moment, anything's possible — and that's exciting, and sexy.

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Touch yourself

After a hot shower, massage your body with lotion, instead of just slapping it on. Or give yourself a relaxing neck rub. "I brush my skin with a soft brush every morning when I wake up," says Mary McGuire-Wien of New York City. "It makes my skin feel much more alive." Natural health advocates believe that dry brushing reduces toxins, sloughs off dry skin, and may help fight cellulite.

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Change it up

Play up your eyes with a new eyeliner, or try a different gloss on your lips. Or, if you normally go natural, put on heavy mascara. "When you feel beautiful, you feel sensual," says Debbie Mandel, author of Turn On Your Inner Light. Take the extra three or four minutes to primp yourself and feel pretty — just for you.

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Move things around

Part your hair on the other side, a teeny move that has a whopping effect. Oh, and every once in a while, you'll have to toss the falling strands back — and you know what the coquettish hair toss does to men.

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All buttoned up

Wearing something with lots of buttons will naturally turn undressing or a wardrobe change into a striptease as you linger over each button.

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Read something racy

Just knowing you're reading something risqué in public is sure to give you a teeny confidence boost. "Erotic novels give women ideas," says Marx. "They respond to stories that fire up their imagination." Mr. Grey, here we come.

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Get busty

When was the last time you invested in a good bra? "Most women are wearing the wrong bra," Marx says. "Don't be scared to spend money on good lingerie. The right foundation will make you feel like a million bucks."

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Take it slow

Slow-dance. Really close. Fitting together so snugly and swaying in sync is unbelievably sensual and intimate. It's almost like making love.

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Back to black

Wear slightly smudgy black eyeliner for that smoldering temptress look. Appearing slightly unkempt — as if you just had a roll in the hay — is incredibly provocative.

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You flirt!

Honestly, when was the last time you really doted on your guy? Forever ago? Well, pretend he's a new beau and chuckle at his jokes, suggestively touch his forearm and make coy comments. You'll feel kittenish — the way you did when you first started dating.

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Go au naturel

Every now and then, take a break from blow drying and styling your hair. That slightly tousled, sexily untamed mane will bring out your wild side.

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Act out

Ever wish you were Joan Holloway from Mad Men or Eva Mendez any day of the week? Pretend to be them! "It's fun to get out of your head and role play," Marx says. Next time you're in a funk and want to feel sexier, emulate your favorite leading lady, and feel your confidence skyrocket.

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Underneath it all

Throw away those ripped, faded, you've-had-them-for-four-years granny panties and invest in some new underwear. The sexier, the better — but G-strings aren't required. New bikinis, boy shorts, or even basic briefs can make you feel special.

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Play top chef

Food serves as a wonderful aphrodisiac, and whipping it up in the kitchen with your partner can make it that much sexier. "It's fun to work closely together in tight quarters and taste food off each other's fingers and lips," Marx says.

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Sweat it out

There are a million reasons to work out — lose weight, lower stress, and yes, boost your sexiness. Sweat releases endorphins, giving you a natural high. "When I feel low, I hit the gym," says Jaime Sarrio, of Nashville. "I feel strong and sexy after a run on the treadmill or a weight-lifting session."

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Look him in the eye

"How do you ask for sex," wonders Catherine Cardinal, Ph.D., author of The Ten Commandments of Relationships? "You probably mumble it with downcast eyes — couples make less eye contact as years go by. Look directly at him the next time. It'll remind him of the days when he couldn't take his eyes off you."

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Hand over foot

Get in touch with your body by treating yourself to a sensual foot massage. You have thousands of nerve endings in your feet, and stimulating every one will send bolts of electricity through you. Start with your thumbs in the center of the bottom of your foot and walk them up toward your big and pinkie toes so they're gradually moving away from each other. Then, alternating thumbs, stroke along your arch. Finally, massage each toe, rubbing from bottom to top while pulling it slightly and rotating it in a circle.

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Tie game

Don't get dressed right after taking a shower. Instead, lounge around in a robe that's loosely belted and occasionally gives him a peep show when you move. Kind of naked but temptingly draped, you'll ooze sex appeal.

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Lace up

Just because it's winter and you're all bundled up doesn't mean you can't expose yourself a little. "Invest in nice tights," Marx says. "Great hosiery is a boost to feeling sexy."

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Plan a girls night out

"When I do something just for me, it's easier to remember who I was before I was a wife and mom," says Megan Barner, of Charlotte, NC. "After I spend time with friends, my husband says I come back a new woman."

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Peep show

Don a silky cream-colored bra (no padding, please). Your guy will go gaga seeing the outline of your nipples through the glossy, smooth material – and it'll be a whole lot more comfortable than some lacy number.

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Double your pleasure, double your fun

"Add the element of doubling," says Barbara Keesling, author of The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex. "Hold his kiss for twice as long. Take twice as much time to unbutton every button."

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Light up your night

Light a scented candle in your den or break out those candlesticks for a romantic dinner. Candlelight casts a warm, cozy glow over everything and everyone in the room and is so much more flattering than harsh lightbulbs. You will — literally and figuratively — see yourself in a new light.

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Bring out the memories

Joanne Rock, of Peru, NY, creates lustful playlists that remind her of when she was falling in love with her husband. "Hearing those tunes sends my thoughts to sexy places," she says. Or take out photos from when you two first started dating. Remember that wanton lust that overcame both of you? Trust us, it's still there.

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Don't try too hard

"It's unreasonable to expect that everything you do has to be sexy," Marx says. "We are sexual beings, but we shouldn't be 'on' or turned on all the time. Sexy feelings are supposed to be special." Every woman needs those days where she gives in to impossible to manage hair, worn out sweats, and a big bowl of popcorn.

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Looking good

We're conditioned to scrutinize every imperfection of our bodies, so giving yourself a reaffirming reality check can do big things. Stand in your prettiest, most confidence-giving dress in front of a full-length mirror and focus on the things you really love about yourself: your strong thighs, shiny hair, or full chest.

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Ditch the sweats

They're comfy! They're cozy! They have no waist! But a hot outfit they are not. "If sweats have become your standard after-work uniform, then you are unlikely to feel sexy," says Sari Locker, the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex. You don't have to wear fishnets, "but buy some clothes that make you feel sexy when you're lounging, even if that's just a camisole and leggings."

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Show off

We're not suggesting you act like teenagers, but a little PDA goes a long way. Make like Reeese Witherspoon and Jim Toth or Beyonce and Jay-Z and french kiss in the car at a red light, cuddle in the park, or hold hands on a walk.

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Say "om"

A recent study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women who regularly practiced yoga felt sexier. Researchers say it could be because yoga forges a stronger mind-body connection through meditation and creates self-confidence, which can lead to feeling more romantic.

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